House-tent.



J. F. LOOKWOOD.

HOUSE TENT.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.11. 1913.

1,100,189. Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. pm 7 ATTORNEYS J. F. LOGKWOOD.

HOUSE TENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. LOCKWOOD, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 BAKER & LOCKWOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

HOUSE-TENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. LooKwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in House Tents; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to house tents and more particularly to structures having double roofs and suitable for occupancy during winter as well as summer.

The objects of the present invention are to increase the rigidityo-f the supporting framework and to simplify the operation of assembling the structure and at the same time to make the structure better able to resist wind and rain and more satisfactory as a place of permanent residence.

To accomplish these and other objects hereinafter made clear, the house tent of my invention is provided with a rigid framework adapted for secure anchorage to the ground and provided with roof rafters securely anchored in place and supporting a ridge pole over which the top of the tent may be stretched. The frame also carries another set of rafters and a second ridge pole over which the fly or supplemental top of the tent may be stretched, the two sets of rafters being so spaced that a substantially uniform distance is maintained between the tent top and the fly throughout their entire areas, thereby forming what may be termed a dead air space between the two layers of canvas serving to protect the tent from the heat of the sun in summer and in winter tnne serving to limit the escape of heat from within the tent. At the places where the rafters of the tent join the ridge pole, a peak casting is provided through ivhich'a stove-pipe or ventilator may lead out through the top of the tent. A similar peak casting is provided for the fly top as hereinafter explained. Novel means is provided for securing rigid connection between the fly frame and the tent frame and this connection is adjustable in character and so arranged as to contribute to ease of assembly.

The scope of my invention is defined more particularly by the appended claims and for Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914. Serial No. 800,241.

a complete understanding of one embodiment of the invention, reference may be had to the following detail description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a perspective view of a complete house tent; Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the framework on which the canvas is supported; Fig. 3, is aplan view of one of the peak castings; Fig. 4, illustrates in elevation the peak castings of the tent roof and of the fly top; Fig. 5, illustrates the arrangement of parts at the corner of the tent; Fig. 6, is a plan View of a corner casting; and Figs. 7 and 8, are respectively, a side elevation and a plan View of one of the interme diate castings used for connecting the fly frame to the tent frame.

In the embodiment here illustrated, the framework of the tent comprises a baseboard l, adapted to rest on the ground or on a suitable foundation, and from this rise a plurality of posts 2, the number and spacing of which will depend on the size and shape of the tent. The corner posts are preferably reinforced by diagonal tension braces 3 of strap iron, screwed to the base-board. The structure as a whole can be conveniently anchored to the ground by means of pins 4, each having an eye through which a wire may be threaded to form a loop encircling the adjacent post and after a sufiicient number of turns of the wire through the pin and around the post, the ends of the wire may be twisted together and the pin driven down until the wire is taut. At the top of each of the vertical posts of the frame is a casting, the castings for the corner posts be ing as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the castings for the other posts being as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Each corner casting 5, has a socket 6, for thereception of the upper cylindrical end of its vertical post 2, and a retaining bolt or screw 7 is provided for locking the casting securely to the post. The cave rails 8, which meet at right-angles, are supported on a flange 9, projecting from the side of the castin and each rail is there secured in place by a bolt 10. The tent rafter 11, which comes down to this casting at an angle, is anchored in place by a lag screw or bolt 12, as shown in Fig. 5.

The means for supporting the fly rafter at the corner of the tent comprises a threaded pipe 13 screwed into a threaded boss 14 on casting 5, this pipe, carrying at its outer end and adjustably mounted thereon a fitting 15, designed to support and form an anchorage for the fly rail 16, and the fly rafter 17. These two wooden members may be inortised together as shown in Fig. 5 and anchored to the fitting 15, by means of bolts 13 and 19. The fitting itself is of a sir-.ootli bore the more readily to slide on pipe 13, and is split between the depending ears 20, so that it may be clamped up by means of a bolt 21, after it has been adjusted to its final position on bar 13. 1 reinforcing brace anchored to bolt 21 may be secured to the tent post 2, by means of a lag screw 23 or other suitable attaching means.

The brackets for use on posts intermediate the corner posts are preferably of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 3, and in addition to the sockets for receiving the eave rails 8 and the post 2, have an auxiliary socket 24;, for supporting a curtain pole from which may be suspended acurtain or inner partition wall of the house tent. Vith these intermediate brackets as with the corner brackets, a threaded pipe 13 is screwed into the outer face of the casting to serve as a support for the fly rafter and cave rail.

At the upper part of the tent where he rafters come together for attachment to the ridge pole, there is inserted a peak casting 25, of the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. This casting is of cylindrical outline with an outwardly extending flange 26, giving reinforcement to the cylindrical portion and serving as an abutment against which the top rounded ends of the rafters may rest. As a means for attaching the rafters to the casting, lugs 27 are provided in suitable number, each adapted to receive a belt 28 for holding a rafter in position. These lugs are so spaced about the casting that when the rafters and ridge pole are in position they will be grouped in diametrically opposite pairs with a lug bearing against the right-hand side of one rafter and against the left-hand side of its opposing rafter. This arrangement gives maximum security against twisting and other troublesome deformation at. the peak. The central opening through the peak casting is of such diameter that a stove-pipe may be ut through it and preferably has a small inner flange with perforate lugs 29 to which a ventilator pipe may be bolted when desired. Immediately above each peak casting of the tent roof is a similar casting 30, in the fly, and the two castings are secured together by means of vertical strips 31 bolted to such of the lugs of the castings as are not used for attachment to rafters. By making the castings with eight lugs as shown, they can be used on tents of various shapes and sizes, and with various numbers of rafters.

In putting the framework together, the adjustability of the fittings 15 on their supporting pipes 13 give a very desirable flexibility to the structure and after all the rafters are in place with the ridge bars and 33 secured to the roof rafters at the peak castings, the entire fly structure can be shifted sidewise as much as may be necessary to bring it into perfect adjustment with respect to the tent roof and all of the securing bolts may then be tightened up, including bolts 21, which clamp fittings 15 to their supports 13.

Having thus described my what I claim is:

1. In a house tent, the combination with a supporting post of a casting mounted at the top thereof, cave rails seated in said casting, a roof rafter secured to said castin a fly-rafter and means for securing the fly rafter to the casting and spaced from the roof rafter, said fly rafter having its lower end adjustable horizontally along said securing means; substantially as described.

2. In a house tent, the combination of a wooden framework having upright posts, eave rails and roof rafters, a casting at the top of each post and at which the intersecting eave rails and rafter are secured, a bracket projecting outwardly from said casting, a split fitting slidingly mounted on said bracket, a bolt for clamping said fitting to said bracket, and fly rails and a fly rafter supported by said split fitting; substantially as described.

3. In a house tent, the combination with a wooden framework having upright posts, eave-rails and roof rafters, of a casting at the top of each post and at which the intersecting eave-rails and rafter are secured. a bracket projecting outwardly from said casting, and fly rails and a fly rafter supported by said bracket and adjustable horizontally thereon to swing the lower end of the fly rafter toward or from the roof rafter; substantially as described.

4. In a house tent having upright posts, an eave rail and roof rafters, a casting at the top of each corner post and shaped to receive the intersecting eaverails and roof rafter, a straight pipe threaded into said casting and projecting outwardly to form a support for the fly framework, and a fitting adjustable along said pipe to swing said fly frame-work toward said casting, said fitting being adapted for ttachment to the framework of the fly; substantially as described.

5. In a house tent having supporting posts, an eave rail and roof rafters, corner castings for said tent, each secured to the top of a. corner post and provided with sockets for the reception of the intersecting eave rails and roof rafter, a horizontal support screw-threaded into said casting, and

invention,

projecting outwardly therefrom, a split fitting slidably mounted on said support and fly rails and a fly rafter secured to said fitting and movable horizontally therewith along said support to adjust the position of said fly rafter wit-h respect to the roof rafter; substantially as described.

6. In a house tent, the combination of upright posts, a roof rail and roof rafters surmounting said posts and carrying a ridge pole, a casting at the top of each post for attachment to the intersecting eave rails, roof rafter and post, and a support projecting outwardly from each casting, a fitting adj ustably mounted to move horizontally on each support and a fly frame supported by said fittings and spaced from the tent roof equidistantly throughout, to form a uniform air space between the tent roof and the fly; substantially as described.

7. In a house tent having roof rafters and a ridge pole, a peak casting of cylindrical shape with a hole at its center through which a pipe may project, said casting having a reinforcing flange serving as an abutment for the ends of the roof rafters and carrying outwardly projecting lugs at the sides of which the rafters may be pivotally bolted to secure them to one another and to the ridge pole while permitting the rafters to swing vertically at their lower ends when the structure is being assembled; substantially as described.

8. A house tent having roof rafters and fly rafters, a pair of castings positioned one above another and each having a central opening through which a pipe may be projected, and spacing members holding said castings at a predetermined distance from one another to maintain an air space over the roof rafters, said castings having lugs and horizontal pivotal attachment to their respective rafters; permitting swinging adjustment of the rafters during assembly of the tent; substantially as described;

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. LOCKWOOD.

Witnesses:

J. F. PHILLIPS, Gno. A. CAPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. i 

